


To Whisper Love in the Dark

by Liz2010



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Car Accidents, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, No Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-07 15:35:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18413564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liz2010/pseuds/Liz2010
Summary: "Derek would hear glass breaking as Stiles hit the windshield. He would hear cracks as bone after bone broke on impact. He would hear the screams of the pack as they reacted, Lydia's predicting yet another death of a friend."Sometimes it takes nearly losing everything to realize what you have.





	To Whisper Love in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I own no characters, this is not beta read, and all mistakes are mine, though hopefully they are few and far between. Enjoy!

Warm hands were stroking his hair, soothing him, calming him before he could jerk upright in a panic. His face was pressed gently against someone’s legs, someone who smelled like cinnamon. God, he loved cinnamon. His mom used to use it for French toast. And her cookies. It smelled like home.

This was nice. Someone had draped a soft blanket that smelled like pack over his back and he felt safe in his little cocoon. 

He could his pack murmuring softly around him, but he didn’t have the energy to pick out any voices. There was no smell of fear or urgency to drive him to open his eyes, only security. 

The repetitive motion of the soft hands could put him back to sleep. It sounded like a nice idea. He really didn’t want to get up. He was warm and comfortable and his body felt bad. He wasn’t in pain, not exactly, but he felt weighted down, tired. 

He suspected he had been hurt. It must have been recently and serious for him to still be feeling like this. 

Someone knelt down next to him, hovering but not touching. “How’s Derek doing?” the voice was a whispered. 

Derek. That was him. He knew that. Derek Hale. The alpha, the imperturbable leader.

The person holding him shifted but didn’t speak and the hands didn’t stop petting. 

The soft voice spoke again, sounding more concerned this time “How are you?”

“I’m fine Scott.”

Scott, that was who was doing the questioning. Derek remembered Scott, the unwilling beta. He didn’t deserve this life, not really. But life wasn’t fair, now was it. Derek didn’t deserve to have his whole family burn. 

“Derek saved me”.  
\-------------------  
It all came back in a flash.

They, the pack, had been out. The pups wanted to watch a movie and go out for pizza, normal teenager things. After everything they had been through, Derek thought they earned it. 

The pack had been paired up, accidentally. 

Lydia was with Jackson, of course. His parents tried to get him to leave town after he had almost died, but he refused. He was still a dick, but now he was also pack, unfortunately. Though, he seemed to appreciate his girlfriend more which made his presence easier to bare, for everyone.

Lydia had handled the whole werewolf reveal with her usual grace and charm. She made it her personal mission to translate the entire beastiary and learn everything there was to learn about the supernatural. It was completely intimidating. 

Scott was with Kira, a new girl at school who apparently was a fox spirit. He seemed to have moved fast with her. He had been bugging Derek incessantly to let her in the pack, but Derek was reluctant. He didn’t know her, he didn’t choose her, and she wasn’t a wolf. Scott brought her to the movie to show what an amazing girl she was, though all it did was convince Derek that Scott was far to easily distracted. 

Allison and Isaac had a weird sort of relationship going on where they made-out after school and didn’t touch each other any other time. Then they pretended that the entire pack didn’t know, even though everyone could tell. Werewolf senses and all. It was hard to hide things like that. Derek didn’t know and didn’t really care how serious they were as long as they didn’t have sex on his bed. 

That left Stiles with Derek, much to his displeasure. 

It wasn’t that Derek didn’t like Stiles. Stiles was likable, in his own way. He was energy in human form, always moving, always talking, and just being himself. Derek didn’t mind it. After the years of loneliness, just he and Laura trying to survive, it was nice to be with someone lived so veraciously. It wasn’t Stiles personality that was the problem. 

It was that Stiles like everyone, a little too much. 

The kid literally constantly smelled like the spicy scent of arousal. It didn’t matter who they were with, Scott, Allison, even Melissa, he stunk of it. 

Derek got it. His pack was a bunch of horny teenagers. They all smelled like it, at one time or another. That was his mistake for only turning teens, but there was no way around it but through it. They wouldn’t be that way forever. But, even allowing for that, it was exhausting to constantly smell if off Stiles. 

It was easy to ignore it when the kid was just Scott’s little tag-along friend. Derek barely noticed him then, too busy trying to build up his new pack.

It was easy to ignore it when he was a tool, when he was useful, seeing connections no one else did and figuring out the villain way before anyone else. Because Derek could deal with a little discomfort if it meant he had a useful schemer who might just save the pack.

But then Stiles became pack, and it was a problem. Because suddenly Derek couldn’t ignore the scent that apparently was just Stiles. It made him feel things and Derek didn’t like it.

Derek dealt with it the way he dealt with everything else. He attacked. He threw Stiles against walls. He threatened him with promises of a violent death. He yelled at him until the teen yelled back. 

It didn’t work, Stiles still stunk. Only it didn’t smell like pure arousal anymore. It was deeper, somehow, fuller. It smelled like something Derek once knew but couldn't quite remember, and he hated it.

And what was worse, it didn’t seem to bother any of the other wolves. Scott hung all over him like normal. Derek could smell Scott on Stiles even when he came alone to the loft. Derek didn’t like it, but it made sense. Scott had grown up with him, he didn’t have to adjust to him the way Derek had. He either didn’t notice or just decided that it was just how his brother smelled. 

But Jackson and Isaac were assholes and they never complained about the smell either. They had no problem sitting next to Stiles on the couch or around the table working on homework. Well Isaac didn’t. Jackson just ignored Stiles completely and that was better for everyone.

Isaac was difficult to get a feel for. He treated the human oddly, sometimes being far too careful, sometimes being cruel. There was something odd between the two of them. Sometimes Isaac would give Stiles long pointed looks, before rubbing a hand over the human’s head, making Derek’s fingers itch to have claws pop out. He would have thought that they were hooking up, but he would smell it a mile away. 

It made Derek feel unsettled. He was the alpha. All his pack should smell like him foremost, not each other. That was all. He just needed to scent Stiles as an alpha. It had nothing to do with the way his eyes sparkled when he laughed or the way the cord of his neck made a shutter run through Derek when Stiles lifted his head up.

That’s why he always rubbed his face against Stiles neck for just a second before the teen left pack meetings. Not because the skin there was warm and soft. And that was why he started making Stiles sit next to him on the couch, arms just barely pressing their legs together while Stiles reeked of cinnamon and want.

The only nice thing was Stiles never made a move on any of the pack. Sure, he flirted clumsily with Lydia and asked Scott if he wanted to make out, but even Derek could tell that he wasn’t serious. Isaac and Stiles did their weird little dance, but it was clear they weren’t screwing. 

Derek was thankful; he didn’t think he would be able to stand it if the kid smelled like sex as well. Or maybe it would be better if he finally got laid. Then he would be able to think about something else besides how hot Stiles would look with after sex hair. 

Like how he would have to hunt down whoever had slept with the human and tear out their throat. 

Okay, so maybe Derek had feelings for Stiles. Maybe he wanted to bring him food and gifts just to watch him smile. Maybe he wanted to walk down the street hand and hand. Maybe he wanted to taste those lips and see if they tasted as good as they smelled, like safety and home and just a hint of cinnamon. 

But he would never act on them. Stiles was a kid, yeah maybe his eighteenth birthday was just in a few weeks, but there was still a huge age difference. Sure, he was smart, funny, and so damn clever, but he was also human. He was weak and that would only lead to trouble. 

Besides, Stiles didn’t feel the same way. He only sat next to Derek grudgingly, holding himself so tight it looked uncomfortable to the naturally sprawling teenager. He smacked at Derek when the wolf tried to scent his neck, muttering at him to get off, like now. His heart raced to the point that Derek worried about his health when he saw Derek, for God’s sake. He clearly wasn’t happy around his alpha, much less attracted to him. So, Derek never said anything. 

\-----  
The pack had been walking to the movies, crossing the street from the parking lot, Derek and Stiles lagging behind the happy couples already waiting on the sidewalk when a car going way too fast came out of a blind corner. 

Derek should have been paying better attention. He normally paid close attention to his surroundings, a habit born of being hunted for years. But there was traffic everywhere and it was hard to tell where each individual car was.

He was listening to Stiles talk about some assignment they had for school and how unfair it was to make a group project half their grade. He didn’t hear the car approaching, didn’t hear it squeal and swerve as the drunk driver tried and failed to gain control. 

His eyes were watching Stiles lips, the way his tongue would dart out as he emphasized a point, not watching for danger. He was listening to Stiles’ heart and how steady it was in this moment. He was thinking about how nice it would be if it was just the two of them.

He was thinking about grabbing Stiles hand, consequences be damned. 

Lydia called him over and Derek smiled hesitantly at Stiles before jogging over to her to give her the tickets. Then, Stiles tripped. He was always stumbling, it was one of his main character traits. He fell on his ass a few steps behind, not quite making on the sidewalk with the rest of them. Derek rolled his eyes in a way that was not affectionate at all as Scott teased him for being a clutz. Stiles pulled himself slowly to his feet.

“Yeah well at least I don’t have fleas!” 

“It was a rash!”

“Call it what you will, I still had to help you take a flea bath.” Stiles pulled himself to his feet and stuck his tongue out at his friend. 

That’s when Derek saw the car coming around the corner. It was already just feet away. 

Even though he was by definition a supernatural creature, Derek never believed in precognition. The thought that someone somewhere might have known about the fire, that someone might have been able to stop it was too terrible to think about. It made him want to curl up in a dark corner and never get up. So, Derek had never believed that anyone could see the future. It just wasn’t possible.

But, in that one moment where he saw the dark car fast approaching, he saw exactly what would happen. 

Isaac was closest and already moving, jumping off the sidewalk, arms out in an attempt to grab the human and pull him out of danger. But he was inexperienced and unless he was in beta shift, he hadn’t quite figured out how to use his enhanced speed. Close as he was, he wouldn’t make it in time and the car was going to hit Stiles square on. Judging by how fast it was going, Stiles would more likely be thrown over it, rather than run over. 

Going over the car sounded better than being crushed, until Derek thought about how many bones could break, how many organs could rupture as the weak human was thrown several feet in the air and then back to the concrete. Even for a werewolf, a hit like that could be fatal. 

For the human, it most certainly would be. 

Derek would hear glass breaking as Stiles hit the windshield. He would hear cracks as bone after bone broke on impact. He would hear the screams of the pack as they reacted, Lydia's predicting yet another death of a friend. 

He would smell blood instead of cinnamon. 

If they were lucky, they would rush over to Stiles to find him coughing up his own blood as his crushed chest struggled to find air. Maybe Derek would get there in time to comfort the human as his heart gave up, too damaged to work anymore. Maybe Scott would say goodbye to his brother. Maybe his pack would drain the pain as he passed out of this world. Because the damage to Stiles’ body would be too much for even the Bite to save him, Derek was sure of that already.

If they were less lucky, Derek would run over to the unnaturally still body only to find Stiles' skull bashed in and the light already gone from his eyes. The casket would have to be closed, the Sheriff unable to look at his son was last time. And Derek would have to live everyday knowing that he let his pack down yet again. He couldn’t take it, not again.

Derek had to try. 

He moved faster than he ever had. He blew past Isaac, knocking Alison to the ground as Lydia screamed, though he barely heard any of it. The only thing echoing in his head was that this time would be different.This pack would survive. Stiles would live.

He could feel the heat of the car. There wasn’t time to shove Stiles out of the way. It was too close. He wrapped his arms around the smaller man’s body, pulling him in as tight as possible and braced. 

The car hit. Metal crumbled and glass shattered. Derek was right, they did flip over it. Derek heard bones snap and he prayed they were his own. Nothing hurt, not yet, but he hoped for pain to hit soon, because that meant he succeeded.

He did his best to twist as he landed, letting his body cushion the fall for the human. The impact knocked the air out of his lungs and he went limp on the ground. For a moment all he could do way lay and gasp for breath. 

The car never stopped. 

Stiles was sprawled across him, further cutting of his air. His head was facing away from Derek’s. The alpha could feel his heartbeat against his own chest, but the teen wasn’t moving. Derek could smell blood, but he wasn’t sure how much of it was his. 

He needed Stiles to say something. Something sarcastic or stupid about how he didn’t need saving. For God’s sake he could say anything, if he would just move, just open his damn mouth.

But he didn’t. He laid limp as the pack circled up around them. 

Scott was suddenly there, cupping his face almost tenderly, stopping him from watching Stiles stubbornly refuse to wake the hell up.

“You’re going to be okay.” Scott looked panicked, though in all fairness, that didn’t take much. “Its okay.”

But it wouldn’t be unless Stiles moved. He had to move. 

“Stiles.” Derek had to spit the word out with a mouthful of blood. He was hurt then. Good. Bodies flickered in and out of view around him. 

“Oh my God, oh my God.” Kira was nearly hysterical. Derek knew she wasn’t cut out for pack life.

“He’s got a pulse. Nothing looks too bad.” That was Allison. Allison knew first-aid, all hunters had extensive training. “Let’s move him. We need to see how bad Derek is.”

Derek wanted to argue. They could hurt Stiles spine if they moved him. They could kill him. But he couldn’t get the words out before Jackson picked the human with more gentleness than Derek knew he was capable of. The beta laid him back down just a few feet away on the sidewalk where Lydia knelt, her hands ghosting over the still form. 

Derek could see the rise and fall of Stiles’ chest now and that calmed his racing heart slightly. But he still wasn’t moving and blood was trickling down the side of his face. He should never be this still.

Derek's own head hurt bad enough that it was getting hard to keep track of his pack. He wondered if his skull was split. It demanded all his attention, making him whine. The pain was starting to overpower his mind. He could feel the animal inside him trying to take over, trying to protect his humanity. He rolled his head, trying to get a good look at the rest of the damage.

His chest was a crushed mess, but it was healing already. That was normal; the most life-threatening wounds always healed first. His leg was broken, badly. He could see the bone sticking out through the skin, blood spurting with each of his heartbeats. There was blood everywhere, it was all he could smell. The pack flitted back and forth, their faces white and worried.

“Put it in.” he ordered. It couldn’t heal until it was back in the skin. He couldn’t bend his back to do it himself and that concerned him almost as much as Stiles' slack face.

“I hear sirens.” Scott was saying. “We have to get them out of here. We can’t have an ambulance see Derek heal.”

It wouldn’t be a problem because Derek wasn’t currently healing.

“He’s heavy.” Jackson spoke, sounding almost unconcerned. “It’s going to take Isaac and me to carry him. You’ll have to get Stiles on your own.”

“Put the bone back in” Derek begged. His body was trying to heal but couldn’t and it felt so damn wrong. It was worse than the pain in his head. 

“Okay,” Isaac was there, always the good beta, grasping his leg while making a face at the mess. “This is going to hurt.”

Red and blue lights flashed.

“Guy’s we have got to go.” Allison said as Lydia ran over to the beginning of the street to make up some excuse to buy them time before the cops arrived. If anyone could stall them, it would be her.

Several things happened at once. Isaac pushed the bone back into place with a sickening snap. Derek howled, face shifting out of his control and Jackson and Scott joined Isaac in an attempt to hold him down.

At Derek’s howl, Stiles made a noise, half cry half shout. It was garbled and barely audible over the howls, but Derek heard it. He twisted his head so the side just in time to see Allison grab Stiles head to keep it still.

“Scott, something’s wrong.” She sounded worried. Derek could hear Stiles's breaths change into wet little gasps that froze him down to the core.

“No.” he snarled. 

They didn’t come through all of this to lose him now. Derek lurched upwards but didn’t make it to his feet before his broken body collapsed again. His vision went white with pain, then everything went dark.

\---------------------  
“You have a head injury.” Scott said, voice still low. “You should be laying down.”

“Not until I’m sure he’s alright.” 

“He’s fine. The bones are all healed. Deaton said he just needs rest.”

“Scott. I’m not leaving right now. Just go look after Kira. She was pretty shook up. I don’t think she thought he would heal.”

There was annoyed huff, then Scott stood, and Derek heard him walk away.

Now that he was properly awake, he could hear the pack just a few feet away in the kitchen. He took count and hear all seven heartbeats, including the most important one just inches from his head.

Stiles was the one holding him. He should have known. The human’s scent was distinctive, even though it was currently dripping with anxiety.

The hands never stopped petting. It was the best thing he had felt in a long time. Derek’s head was clearing but he was still tired. He had nearly drifted off again when Stiles spoke quieter than Derek had ever heard before, clearly not knowing the alpha was awake.

“Jesus Derek. I’ve never been that scared. I woke up and you were just covered in blood. I didn’t know how you would survive losing that much. You were so fucking still, and they had to carry you back to the car and you just wouldn’t wake up no matter how much I begged.”

The rest of the pack had gone silent in the kitchen. Derek knew they were listening. He should yell at the them for listening in, it was rude, but he wanted Stiles to keep going and Derek knew if he knew he was awake, he would stop talking.

“Deaton met us at the loft. He looked so worried as he worked on you. I thought for sure it was the end. And all I could think about was the fact that the only time you ever hugged me was right before I got you killed.”

Derek smelled salt moments before a warm tear dripped on his face. It was wiped away immediately, but another followed it. 

“You just never get it. I want you to be close to me all the time so bad, but anytime I try you just get this look on your face and I give up. You’re the only thing that makes me feel safe, Derek, and today I almost lost that.”

Stiles shifted again. The petting stopped as Stiles leaned down so close Derek could feel his breathe on his face. He was careful to keep his face lax. He didn’t want to break this spell.

“I love you Derek.” It was a whisper so quiet he doubted the werewolves in the kitchen would be able to hear it at all. 

It took all of Derek’s control not to tense up at the confession as his heart skipped. His stomach fluttered as Stiles’ scent grew richer as the anxiety began to fade.

He smelled safe, like cinnamon mixed into cookies that his mother used to make, like home. Like love. That was what he had been smelling all. Love, not lust, not want. Love. 

Derek relaxed as Stiles’ breathing eventually evened out in sleep. He opened his eyes to find Scott in front of him.

“Help me get him laying down.” The beta ordered. 

Derek sat up and helped Scott straitened the human down onto the couch. He looked pale and there were a couple stitches in his head, thread dark against the translucent skin. Derek traced the mark with the lightest touch, careful not to wake him, pulling the pain as best he could in his weakened state. 

“He’s alright.” Lydia said her expression unreadable, pulling Derek onto the floor right in beside the couch. “He has a concussion and needed a few stitches but nothing that won’t heal. It’s alright.”

The rest of the pack appeared, carrying bedding and looking as tired as Derek felt. They made a pile all around the couch where Stiles was asleep. Issac handed Derek a pillow and blanket then rolled over, grabbing Allison’s hand. 

One by one, Derek heard heartbeats slow as the pack drifted off. He kept himself awake, wanting to savor this moment, this feeling of contentment and safety. 

Stiles loved him. The thought was overwhelming. It made him want to run, to hunt down rabbits for his mate, to howl to the moon in thankfulness. Derek wanted to wake the human, tell him he felt the same, that he had for ages, but he didn’t know how to say it.

But this wasn’t the time. Stiles needed rest, and so did he. There would be time that later. After a few dates and a couple kisses. For right now, Derek was satisfied to hear Stiles’ deep calm breaths as they laid surrounded by pack. 

“I love you too.” Derek said quietly. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.


End file.
